FBI Las Vegas Announces 2012 Director’s Community Leadership Award Recipient
Phyllis C. Friedman, Director, Nevada Regional Office of the Anti-Defamation League

LAS VEGAS—Special Agent in Charge (SAC) Kevin Favreau of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Las Vegas Field Office announced Phyllis C. Friedman had been selected as the Division’s 2012 FBI Director’s Community Leadership Award (DCLA) recipient. SAC Favreau presented Ms. Friedman with the commemorative award on December 11, 2012, during the monthly Board of Directors meeting of the Nevada Anti-Defamation League.

The FBI presents the DCLA annually on behalf of its Director, Robert S. Mueller, III. It was created in 1990 as a way to honor individuals and organizations for their efforts in combating crime, terrorism, drugs, and civil rights education and prevention. Each year, the special agent in charge of each FBI field office has the opportunity to select an individual or organization that has made a significant difference in the lives of others.

Phyllis joined the Anti-Defamation League (ADL) in December 2007, moving to Las Vegas from Los Angeles for the second time. Formerly, she was the foundation director of the Las Vegas Jewish Federation from 1996-1998.

When the ADL presented “Hate Crimes and How to Identify Racist Symbols” to federal and local law enforcement and casino security officers during a Terrorism Conference, Phyllis expressed an interest in forming a closer partnership with the FBI. In March 2010, Phyllis participated in a multi-cultural town hall meeting with Special Agent in Charge Favreau.

In 2011, she attended the FBI Las Vegas Citizens Academy and later that year helped organize the first FBI Community Relations Executive Seminar Training (CREST) for 20 members of the Anti-Defamation Leagues’ Board of Directors. This group met with supervisory special agents of the Civil Rights and Domestic Terrorism squads to discuss federal crimes and local concerns. In 2012, she was welcomed as a member of the FBI Las Vegas Citizens Academy Board of Directors.

An advocate for teaching children to stop the cycle of hate, Phyllis has supported the FBI Adopt-A-School program by incorporating the ADL “No Place for Hate” program, which includes anti-bullying exercises, as part of the curriculum for the FBI Junior Special Agents Academy. “No Place for Hate” is offered to all schools, elementary through high school. Since it was introduced in Las Vegas seven years ago, over 75,000 children and teens have received anti-bias training, in addition to the teachers and administrators who have participated.

A Chicago native, Phyllis has over four decades of working for non-profit organizations. Her goal is to establish and maintain relationships with other community and religious groups, government officials, law enforcement, and educators. She is an outstanding example of how the development of personal relationships can ease perceptions and enhance communication.

FBI Director Mueller will present Phyllis Friedman with the 2012 FBI DCLA during a formal ceremony at FBI Headquarters, Washington, D.C., on April 5, 2013.